D E V E LO P M EN T O F S O C I O LO GY

EARLY THINKERS

AUGUST COMTE (1798–1857)

feared that the excesses of the French Revolution had permanently impaired France’s stability

believed that a theoretical science of society and a systematic investigation of behavior were needed to improve society.

coined the term sociology

AUGUST COMTE (1798–1857)

Sociology (Queen and Scientist-

priest)

Other sciences

HARRIET MARTINEAU offered insightful observations of the customs and social practices of both her native Britain and the United States. Martineau’s book Society in

America ([837) examined religion, politics, child rearing, and immigration in the young nationsocial class distinctions and

to such factors as gender and race (women’ rights, emancipation of slaves, and religious tolerance

HARRIET MARTINEAU

•wrote the first book on sociological methods• Intellectuals and scholars should act on their convictions in a manner that will benefit society

HERBERT SPENCER (1820–1903)

merely hoped to understand it better the society

adapted Darwin’s evolutionary view of the “survival of the fittest” by arguing that it is “natural” that some people are rich while others are poor.”

Since societies are bound to change eventually, one need not be highly critical of present social arrangements or work actively for social change.

EMILE DURKHEIM (1858–1917)

behavior must be understood within a larger social context, not just in individualistic terms

Durkheim

EMILE DURKHEIM (1858–1917)• developed a fundamental thesis to help explain all

forms of society• an intensive study of Arunta, an Australian tribe, focused

on the functions of religion

• concluded that like other forms of group behavior, religion reinforces a group’s solidarity.

• main interests was the consequences of work in modern societies• sociology should provide direction for social change• Advocated the creation of new social groups

EMILE DURKHEIM (1858–1917)• Anomie

– refers to the loss of direction felt in a society when

social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.

– occurs during a time of profound social changeIn a period of anomie, people are so confused and unable to cope with the new social environment that they may resort to suicide

MAX WEBER (1864–1920)taught his students that they should employ verstehen, the German word for “understanding” or “insight,” in their intellectual work

learn the subjective meanings people attach to their actions—how they themselves view and explain their behavior.

MAX WEBER (1864–1920)

• Ideal type–construct or model for evaluating specific cases.

–the purpose was to provide a useful standard for measuring

KARL MARX (1818–1883)While in London in 1847, Marx and Engels attended secret meetings of an illegal coalition of labor unions known as the Communist LeagueIn The Communist Manifesto, they argued that the masses of people with no resources other than their labor should unite to fight for the overthrow of capitalist societies.

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. . . . The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. working men of all countries, unite!SENTENCES FROM THE MANIFESTO

KARL MARX (1818–1883)

• society was fundamentally divided between two classes that clashed in pursuit of their own interests.

Bourgeoisie

Proletariat

KARL MARX (1818–1883)

• a system of economic, social, and political relationships maintained the power and dominance of the owners over the workers. •Marx and Engels argued that the working class should overthrow the existing class system.

W. E. B. DUBOIS (1868–1963) believed that knowledge was

essential in combating prejudice and achieving tolerance and justice.

advocated basic research on the lives of Blacks

saw the importance of religion to society, like Durkheim and Weber

W. E. B. DUBOIS (1868–1963)• In 1909 he helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)• he coined the term double consciousness to refer to the division of an individual’s identity into two or more social realities

20 T H CENTURY DEVELOPMENT

Charles Horton Cooley (1864–

1929)• look first at

smaller units—intimate, face-to-face groups such as families, gangs, and friendship networks (seed beds of the society)

Jane Addams

• combined intellectual inquiry, social service work, and political activism—all with the goal of assisting the underprivileged and creating a more egalitarian society

Robert Merton (1910–2003)

• successfully combining theory and research

• one of the most frequently cited explanations of deviant behavior

• Emphasized the macro-level and micro-level approaches to the study of society

Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002)wrote about how capital in its many forms sustains individuals and families from one

generation to the next.Cultural capital

refers to noneconomic goods, such as family background and education, which are

reflected in a knowledge of language and the arts

Social capital

refers to the collective benefit of social networks, which are

built on reciprocal trust.

END THANK YOU